Red Like Pyrrha
by EviIPaladin
Summary: Jaune deals with his crush. However, things never go according to plan. Arkos pairing (Jaune x Pyrrha). C&C greatly appreciated. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Man, Chapter 3 of ****_Ashes to Dust_**** is proving a tough cookie to write. In the meantime, someone on Tumblr was yelling that they needed more Arkos. Shipping and romance ain't my strong suit but I support that ship and want to help it sail somehow. So I did this little shortfic one-off. Hopefully it isn't too bad. Criticism is really wanted for this so I can learn how to write romance. RWBY and all its characters are owned by RoosterTeeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

Jaune looked around to ensure that the coast was clear. While the streets were rather crowded, none of the faces were familiar to him. Breathing a sigh of relief, the blond haired boy pushed open the door to the shop and waltzed in.

"I'd like to order a bouquet of red roses, miss," said Jaune, suavely. The girl working today was facing away so Jaune had no issues with telling her his quest. He worried about when she would turn around, with that long red ponytail trailing behind her much like…

The leader of Team JNPR froze as he really saw the beautiful girl standing behind the counter. Her glorious long red hair perfectly matched her sparkling emerald eyes, which gazed at him with a curious twinkle. Her clearly soft olive skin was more covered than usual by a work uniform which included a light blue apron with the florist store's name and slogan emblazoned on it with elaborate cursive writing. Jaune wondered what that little smile on her lips meant as he felt an odd sense of foreboding.

"Jaune? What are you doing here?"

"Oh… uh… hey Pyrrha," he chuckled nervously, smiling sheepishly. "I… uh… Didn't know you… um… worked here…" _You're blowing it, Jaune!_

"Came here to get some flowers for a cute girl?"

Jaune turned a red that Pyrrha would liken to a tomato and he would liken to ketchup. "Wha-What n-no! I mean, I… um… I'm actually… ah… picking some up for Ren!" _Perfect plan!_ "Y-Yeah that's right! Ren wanted to buy some flowers for Nora but was too embarrassed to get them himself!" Jaune was proud of how skillfully he recovered, although anyone with half a brain could see the planet-sized holes in his excuse.

"Oh," said Pyrrha dejectedly, worrying why her team leader might be lying in this scenario. "So there isn't any girl you might be interested in…?"

"Well… Y-Yeah there's one…" muttered Jaune, suddenly realizing what he had just done. _An in-direct confession?!_ "I mean… uh…"

"It's Ruby, isn't it?"

Jaune took a short step back. "Wha-What no! She's—"

"Pretty and red like these roses," completed Pyrrha, her voice slow and quieter than Jaune had ever heard it. "You two are close friends, it isn't hard to see you two together…"

Jaune grabbed her hands with an urgency that he didn't remember thinking of. "That's not it, Pyrrha. Ruby isn't the only girl in red that I'm close to." Pyrrha leaned in closer as she saw a spark in her partner's bright blue eyes turn to a raging flame. "The roses are as red as her hair but not half as beautiful. The thorns of the rose may hurt like our training sessions but they don't take away from the beauty."

Jaune could feel the heat from Pyrrha's face on his own and saw the joy and embarrassment flickering in her gorgeous eyes. "Jaune…" she murmured, looking away shyly. This was the cue that the boy's mind needed to forget all of his practiced lines for the situation and misinterpret her shyness for embarrassment of being hit on by the dorkiest guy in school.

"Oh Dust, I'm so sorry, Pyrrha!" As he exclaimed his apology, Jaune went to withdraw his hands from hers.

_Not on my watch_, thought the Amazoness, eyes narrowing as she leaped on her opportunity. She pulled Jaune by his hands with her left and the back of his head with her right and planted a deep kiss on his lips. His eyes widened and his lips resisted at first but he quickly relented and gave in to his overpowering partner. For what seemed like an eternity, the two teens were locked in a wonderful land of love and happiness, euphoric in their first true act of affection that both had developed far earlier on.

This was interrupted by the sound of a slapping noise, which caused both to spin around to see the source. Ren and Nora, having just high-fived, looked guiltily at the two lovebirds. "Thanks for covering my shift, Pyrrha," cooed Ren, a coy smile playing on his lips.

Nora grinned widely too, bobbing around and booping Jaune on the nose. "I told you Pyrrha would love the flowers!"

It took a moment but Pyrrha and Jaune put two and two together. "Wait, you two set this up?!" they exclaimed together, equal parts incredulous, infuriated, and in deep gratitude.

"Mayyyyyyybe," came Nora's giggling reply as she skipped out of the store, dragging her hapless partner-in-crime along with her. "You can't prove it in a court of law!"

This left Jaune and Pyrrha standing in the flower shop alone, both of them a deep, dark crimson. "So…" muttered the boy, aimlessly kicking the air just in front of his shoes. "I… uh… was wondering…"

"Yes," interrupted his now-official girlfriend, nodding vigorously. "I would like that a lot."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, so apparently people wanted more. Well, fine then I guess. Here's part II, where Jaune continues to attempt to swoon Pyrrha but stuff continues to not go to plan. However, it might not be as easy a fix as last time...**

**RWBY and all the characters therein belong to RoosterTeeth and Monty Oum.**

**Comments and criticism are wanted, especially the latter.**

**Red Like Pyrrha Part II: Pyrrha Boogaloo/The Pyrrhaing/Pyrrha Harder**

Jaune slammed his head against the desk in the library, the frustration getting to him. He wanted to take Pyrrha out on a nice date now that they were officially a couple but he had no idea what to do. As he rested his head on his folded arms, the boy noticed that he had begun to develop half-way decent muscles now, thanks to his girlfriend's excellent training regimen. He was so grateful for everything she had done for him as a friend and now as his girlfriend… Which made the whole situation even more annoying for the blond. Leaning back in his chair, he went back over the suggestions he had gotten from his teammates and friends.

Nora had suggested a hunting or camping trip in the forest. While Jaune had no doubt the Amazoness would be fully in her element in the wilds, he was most certainly not. He wanted to be impressive for once and not end up having to get saved by her dozens of times before the end of the trip. However, his decision to veto the suggestion came when Nora not-so-subtly pointed out that he and Pyrrha could share a sleeping bag. Jaune was head over heels for his partner but he didn't feel comfortable making any sexual advances yet.

Ruby recommended going to see the newest horror movie;_ Attack of the Fifty-Foot Wolfmangrimm!_. Ignoring the fact that Jaune totally wasn't afraid of this movie (seriously, he wasn't in the least; honest!) he turned red when Yang added in the suggestions to put some of his patented "smooth moves" on her. Being a man of the Arc family, he considered himself somewhat of a gentleman, even if he initially came off as a little… earnest in his dealings with women. Trying to manipulate Pyrrha's fear into his own gain was something that really soured the taste of a movie night.

Blake and Weiss suggested a nice dinner on the town. Almost like a normal couple. Jaune had initially liked the idea until he had begun to do some research on all the nice restaurants. He was amazed those places weren't shut down by the police because those prices were highway robbery! If he didn't know any better, he'd think they were owned by Roman Torchwick or something.

That left Ren's suggestion. It was the easiest one to enact yet also the hardest. A simple night at the dorm with just him and Pyrrha. Jaune could cook a nice dinner and enjoy it with his love in soft candlelight. He imagined her shimmering green eyes reflecting the light glow of the burning candles and her beautiful smile as she noticed his admiration of her. Her long flawless crimson hair cascading down her back as he rounded behind her to give a relaxing massage after the dinner.

As Jaune was consumed with his fantasy, he leaned back a little too far and fell out of both his imagination and his chair, causing a hushed roar of "shhhh!" to erupt in the library. Waving and smiling sheepishly, he brushed himself off and left the library, his scroll in hand. He sent a message to Ren: "Operation Pyrrha's Red Meat Wonder Night Extravaganza is a go."

* * *

Pyrrha was a little worried about Jaune, her team leader and object of loving affection. The blond boy seemed to be a little-absent minded and secretive as of late. He often disappeared for hours at a time, with none of the others knowing, or telling, where he was. Pyrrha was beginning to grow suspicious of both her own team and Team RWBY's claims that they didn't know where her boyfriend was. She didn't mean to be smothering him but she was growing concerned that he might be dealing with Cardin again or, worse, seeing another woman. Pyrrha enjoyed the company of Nora and Team RWBY as well as a few other girls, but if they thought they could steal her man, they'd find themselves in a world of pain a Grimm couldn't inflict on them.

The Amazoness was most suspicious of the young leader of their sister team. The youthful Grimm Reaper was one of Jaune's closest friend and the only other girl who really gave him the time of day. She never saw the two of them romantically engaged since he had asked Pyrrha out, but the niggling doubt began to burrow into her mind. And Ruby was usually missing when Jaune was…

Pyrrha suddenly became aware that she was gritting her teeth and stopped immediately. Focusing on her breathing, she did her best to calm down. There was no point in getting angry without proof. Besides, Jaune and her were officially a couple now; Ruby wouldn't mess with that.

…Would she?

* * *

Jaune and Ruby were laughing as they returned from their cooking practice. Jaune had been surprised to learn that the younger girl was something of a skilled chef, considering her rather absent-minded personality. The fellow team leader had been taught how to look after herself at an early age and had not only a sweet tooth but something of a rather refined and rich palette. As such, she quickly began to learn how whip up such plates as rainbow trout on a bed of sautéed vegetables and, relevant for the coming date night, filet mignon. Jaune wasn't a bad chef, per se, but he had really appreciated the practiced assistance from Ruby.

"At least it wasn't charred this time," joked the small girl, causing Jaune to frown a little. He had gotten a confirmation text from Ren saying that the room was being set-up for the romantic get together and had begun fantasizing over how everything would be perfect for the date. Of course, this meant he didn't take out the beef from the stove at the right time and it ended up rather well-done.

"I don't get why they call it well-done when its clearly the wrong way to do it," mumbled the blond, as his shoulders slumped a little as the worry of performing tonight began to weigh down on him. "Oh Dust, I'm not ready… I need to get Ren to reschedule…"

Ruby stepped in front of her friend and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders, her piercing silver eyes meeting his worried blues. "Jaune, snap out of it. What did we say about the possibility of you failing?"

Jaune had to reflect a moment before he recalled his heart-to-heart chat with her back when Cardin was blackmailing him. "Nope?"

"Nope," smiled Ruby, her joyous grin infecting the blond against his will. As much as he loved Pyrrha, and he did, he didn't know what he'd do without Ruby. She could always find a way to make him feel better and was always willing to lend a hand. Pyrrha was like that too, but… Sometimes Jaune felt intimidated by his incredibly successful and drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend. Ruby, on the other hand, was just a bundle of cheery energy that never pushed him too hard and always was there for him. And he would always be there for her. "Thanks, Ruby."

Ruby just continued grinning, pulling her good friend in for a tight hug. She was so proud of him. She may be younger than him but Jaune's dorky personality and low self-esteem made Ruby feel like he was the younger sibling she never had and was so glad to see him with someone who truly made him happy. She just hoped one day she could meet her own soulmate like Jaune had.

While the two held each other in a deep embrace, Pyrrha rounded the corridor and saw them. She froze. Every single worry about Jaune pushing her away came back with crushing force as she watched the two team leaders hugging each other tight. In her shock, she dropped her books, which loudly clattered as they hit the floor. Ruby and Jaune turned and saw the wide-eyed red-head, with the two of them looking at her in confusion and then fear that she might figure out the surprise.

"Hey Pyrrha," said her boyfriend, his voice cracking a little from a deeply nervous feeling he felt deep within his stomach. He couldn't figure out why he was feeling it until Pyrrha turned on her heels and ran down the hallway, with tears following in her wake. "Wait, Pyrrha!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So some people were actually fooled into thinking I would end it on Chapter 2. Ha! Ha, I say! Of course I'm not that much of a horrible person. We need some closure so here it is. The final chapter. I promise. I'd put in some frick-fracking but that's not something I'm comfortable writing due to... inexperience. Enjoy!**

**Comments and criticism, especially the latter, are greatly appreciated!**

**RWBY and all of its characters are owned by Monty Oum and RoosterTeeth.**

**Red Like Pyrrha Part III: Pyrrha with a Vengeance**

"Pyrrha!" yelled Jaune, accompanied by Ruby as they searched the halls for the scraggily blond's partner. His shoulders slumped as he kicked the floor in frustration. Why had Pyrrha run off like that? Rubbing his thumb and forefinger, he still felt the dampness of the tear he had wiped off the ground. He had never once seen her cry and had no idea what could've caused it.

Jaune felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Ruby, smiling softly. "I'm sure she'll be fine, Jaune. Let's keep looking."

The blond nodded, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I'll take the left wing, you take the roof." Ruby nodded and the two team leaders went their separate ways, crying out the redhead's name to many a confused looking student's surprise.

* * *

Pyrrha sat on the rooftop, sobbing into her knees. Her long red covered her face so that even with her emerald eyes wide open, she only saw darkness. The thought of the other team leader sinking her claws into her beloved Jaune was despair inducing, but nowhere near as bad as the realization that he reciprocated those feelings. Screaming internally as she tried to fight back the tears, Pyrrha swore the day couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Pyrrha…?"

Jumping up and spinning to face the voice in a single smooth motion, the Amazon saw a short pale girl through her bleary eyes. "Oh, it's just you…" Pyrrha sat back down, this time sitting on the edge with her legs dangling off the roof. It seemed like an eternity ago she first took Jaune up here…

Weiss figured she could piece this particular puzzle together although was a little confused at how it brought Pyrrha to tears. "What did that dunce do this time?" she asked, walking up to sit next to the distraught redhead. "Did his cooking actually hurt?"

Pyrrha blinked, turning to the heiress. "N-No… What are you talking about, Weiss?" _Cooking…?_

"Oh no…" Weiss rested her head in her hands as she realized that she jumped to the wrong conclusion. "I mean… Nothing. Why are you so upset?"

Rubbing her tears on her sleeve, Pyrrha debated on whether to share with her cold companion. On the one hand, she was clearly close to Ruby and would probably take her side in the conflict. On the other hand, Pyrrha really needed to talk to someone about this.

"I think… I think Ruby is making a move on Jaune."

Weiss stared into her friend's bloodshot eyes for a few solid seconds before uttering a single syllable. "No."

"N-No…?"

Weiss sighed, her breath frosting in the winter's evening air before her. "No, Ruby isn't interested in Jaune. Well, not that way. Really she shouldn't even be interested in Jaune at al—"

Pyrrha interrupted Weiss's rambling by gripping her by the shoulders and looking at her with wide green eyes. "What do you mean?"

Weiss really didn't want to talk about it. In fact, she made Ruby swear an oath of silence over it. And yet, seeing how hurt and desperate a friend of hers was, she felt like she had no choice to tell her.

"Ruby and I… are girlfriends."

"Well, yes, you are close, but what does that have to do with Jaune?"

Weiss felt an annoyance grow inside her. "That's not what I mean. Ruby and I are going… are going… we're going to be dating soon, okay?!"

Pyrrha sat unmoving for a moment, processing this newly fed information. "Wait… So that means…"

Weiss was about to further explain just what that meant but was prevented by having all the air squeezed out of her when the Amazon crushed her with big hug. The redhead was now all wide smiles and gentle sobs. Weiss slapped her on the back, desperate to start breathing again as her pale face took on a slight purple hue. "Let… go…"

Pyrrha realized the cold skin of the heiress was growing colder and immediately drew herself away from her. "I'm sorry. I'm just so happy! Wait… You mentioned something about Jaune cooking earlier?"

Weiss was saved the embarrassment of trying to cover her tracks by the sound of a squeaky voice calling from behind the access to the roof. "Pyrrha! Pyrrha!" The door opened and a rather surprised Ruby emerged, seeing Weiss and Pyrrha looking back at her, noticing that the redhead was no longer crying. Ruby, not one to question a good thing, smiled at the duo. "Oh, hey guys! We were looking for you, Pyrrha!"

"I'm sure she figured that out by you shouting out for her," Weiss scowled. "I'm going to assume you and the other dolt are who you mean by 'we', right?"

"Yeah, Jaune was really sad about making you cry, Pyrrha," Ruby said, her voice shrinking. "He really likes you, you know? I mean, he prepared—"

"Ixnay on the innerday!" exclaimed Weiss, shooting a venomously glare at her partner, who covered her own mouth in shock of almost giving away the surprise. Pyrrha raised an eyebrow as she slowly sauntered up to the younger girl.

"You know… you were part of the reason I was so upset, Ruby Rose," she whispered, an almost sinister smirk growing on her face. "So I think I'm owed an explanation?"

"Hehehehe… Oh biscuits."

* * *

Jaune was feeling relieved after getting the message from Ruby, saying Pyrrha had been found and was feeling better. He did have a slight tingling feeling of dread due to the fact that it wasn't his partner sending the message and his friend hadn't ended it with her customary winking emoticon. But the important thing was that Pyrrha had been found and was feeling better. As he approached the dorm room, he froze, realizing that in his fevered search he had forgotten to warn Nora and Ren to clean up the room. Bracing for the worst, he slowly pushed open the door.

The room was pitch black but for the soft warm glow of candles. The small group dinner table had been set up with a gorgeous crimson tablecloth that Ren claimed was an ancient family heirloom. Considering how many of Ren's items were 'ancient family heirlooms', Jaune was beginning to doubt the legitimacy of these claims as excuses for getting the clumsier members of the team from touching them.

"You made me cry, Jaune Arc."

Spinning around, he saw a pair of gorgeous emerald eyes staring back at him from a dark corner of the room that the candles' light had not quite reached. But there was no mistaking who spoke to him in such a soft and forgiving tone. Yet still, Jaune knew he had done her wrong somehow and the guilt came crashing down on him once again. "I'm so sorry, Pyrrha… I don—"

She moved with a speed that the blond boy could never hope of matching, placing a single soft finger on his lips. Having silenced him, she grinned. "But that was in the past. You need to think of the present and the future. And how you are going to make it up to me."

Jaune audibly gulped as the fierce yet kind redheaded warrior pulled him closer and reached a hand around the back of his neck, pulling his head down and closer to her own. Jaune's face rapidly turned a hue of red darker than Pyrrha's hair, which he felt his hand running through with a mind of its own. He could feel her soft breath washing over his face and her eyes shimmering with a thousand different emotions. But what he noticed most was her own reddening face. _I must be as red as she is_, he thought as their lips finally locked.


End file.
